De Niro, Van Morrison will be Fallon’s guests

February 22, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

NEW YORK — If Jimmy Fallon is nervous about the premiere of his new gig as “Late Night” host, he’ll have Robert De Niro and Van Morrison to lean on.

They’ll be the guests for his March 2 debut hosting the NBC show.

Fallon replaces Conan O’Brien, who has his final show Friday before heading out west to take over the “Tonight” show in June.

NBC says Tina Fey, Jon Bon Jovi, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Donald Trump and Serena Williams are among other guests scheduled for Fallon’s first week.

Broadway’s Faith Prince to join ‘Mermaid’ cast

NEW YORK — “The Little Mermaid” is getting a new underwater villainess.

Faith Prince will join Disney’s Broadway musical as Ursula the sea witch, the evil nemesis of the show’s spirited young heroine, Ariel.

She will begin performances April 7, Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions, said last week.

The musical is based on the hit 1989 Disney animated film and the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. The stage production features music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman from the movie and 10 new songs by Menken and Glenn Slater.

Today’s birthdays

Announcer Don Pardo is 91. Actor Paul Dooley is 81. Director Jonathan Demme is 65. Actress Ellen Greene (“Pushing Daisies”) is 58. Actor Kyle MacLachlan is 50. Comedian Rachel Dratch (“30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live”) is 43. Actress Jeri Ryan (“Boston Public,” “Star Trek: Voyager”) is 41. Actor Thomas Jane (“The Sweetest Thing”) is 40. Actress Lea Salonga is 38. Actress Drew Barrymore is 34. Singer James Blunt is 32. Singer Tom Higgenson of Plain White T’s is 30. Actor Daniel E. Smith (“John Q.”) is 19.